Time Squared (episode)
The Enterprise discovers a duplicate of Picard from six hours in the future. Summary En route to the Endicor system, the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS Enterprise-D]] encounters a Starfleet shuttlepod adrift in space. Once the pod is brought aboard the Enterprise, the crew discover that it is not only the El-Baz, one of their own shuttles, but it contains an unconcious double of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. After Doctor Katherine Pulaski examines the unconscious, it is found that his brainwaves are out of phase. Also, Counselor Deanna Troi detects very little emotion from him, and the shuttle he was in appears to be offline. Back on route to the Endicor system, Lieutenant Commanders Geordi La Forge and Data attempt to transfer power to the shuttle, but end up shorting out its circuits. Back in sickbay, Dr. Pulaski examines the other Picard in more detail. She is able to determine that he is alive but all other readings seem to fluctuate irratically. At Captain Picard's request, Pulaski attempts to revive him but instead almost kills him. It seems that the stimulant had the opposite effect. Meanwhile, Geordi and Data apply a power inverter to the shuttle to try and extract the logs from it. After an adjustment fails, Data suggests doing the opposite of the previous procedure, and the power comes back online. Geordi sees that the stardate on the shuttle's chronometer is 6 hours in the future and deduces that the other Picard must be from that time. Pulaski is now successful in waking the future Picard, but he is disorientated and confused. The present Picard calls a staff meeting and Geordi shows him the logs he was able to retrieve from the shuttle. The visual log shows some sort of distortion, and the shuttle leaving the Enterprise, then the Enterprise itself being destroyed. This is followed by an audio log by the Captain himself reporting on his witness to the loss of his ship. Despite this, the crew decide to remain on course as they realise that they may have already committed to a series of unalterable events. Pulaski theorises that as they move closer to the time in which the other Picard left, his internal body clock is realigning, and that when normal time intersects with the time in which he left, for that instant he would begin to function normally and there will be two Picards. Troi begins to feel emotion from the future Picard and realises that his one wishes to leave the Enterprise. Still on course to Endicor but not far from a meeting with fate, the other Picard is now more coherent. The present Picard begins to question him, becoming frustrated at his counterpart's abandonment of the Enterprise. Troi tries to reason with Picard, saying that the other is afraid. Picard, now disgusted at his other self, denies all familiarity with him and leaves sickbay. Pulaski then tells Troi that she will relieve the present Picard of duty should his judgement become impaired. Picard now debates with Commander William Riker as to how and why the other Picard travelled though time, bringing up the Traveller and Paul Manheim's experiments with time. Riker suggest that Picard supresses his natural tendancies to try and save the Enterprise from decision he may make and not try to second guess himself. Suddenly, an energy vortex appears beneath the Enterprise without warning. In order to avoid being pulled in, Geordi has to hold the warp engines at 30% just to hold their position. After being probed by the center of the vortex, Picard decides to stay and investigate, but then worrying that staying was the mistake which caused the destruction of the Enterprise. He decides to leave immediately, but trying to escape, the vortex only results in the Enterprise being pulled further inside. The warp engines now have to be held at Warp 7 just to maintain their position. A Class 1 probe is launched, but is destroyed by the vortex. Almost immediately after, both Picards are struck by some sort of energy beam. When the beam strikes again and Geordi is forced to hold the ship at maximum warp, Commander William Riker suggests destroying the vortex. Troi deduces that the energy wants Picard and he must leave the ship to distract its attention, now realising what the plan of his counterpart was. Returning to his counterpart in sickbay, who is now much more aware of himself and his surroundings, he orders him released and follows him to shuttlebay two. The other Picard says that the entity recognises Picard as the "brain" of the Enterprise and wants him, not the ship. Both Picards now argue as to what to do, with the present Picard trying to get as much information from the future Picard as he can before he gets to the shuttle. With the future Picard unwilling to divulge any information and the present Picard now seeing that his counterpart is unable to alter his actions, locked into a single event and purpose, he realises that it is not him that will enter the shuttle but his counterpart and that before he can move forward the cycle must end. In a moment of realisation, he kills his counterpart with a phaser and returns to the bridge, calling Pulaski to the shuttlebay, accompanied by Chief Miles O'Brien. He now orders that a course be set for the center of the vortex with all the power the ship can muster, and that their position be held no matter what. With the Enterprise coursing through the vortex, Chief O'Brien witnesses the other Picard and his shuttle vanish from existance and seconds later the Enterprise bursts back out into normal space. Background Information *This episode was originally intended to be followed by a Q episode, in which it would be revealed that Q was behind the time vortex. *Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) does not appear in this episode. Links and References Guest Stars *Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien References Starbase 73; Type-15 shuttlepod; Tractor beam; Endicor system; El-Baz; Egg Category:TNG episodes de:Die Zukunft schweigt nl:Time Squared